VALERIEMAHA's SparkPeople Bloghttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal.asp?id=VALERIEMAHA
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Giving Thanks, my pledgehttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5822779
Given what's going on all around my own country...and the world, I pledge: <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/4/l1401326626.jpg"> <BR>
An original Dharma Comic by Leah Pearlman <BR>
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A PLEDGE FOR GRATEFUL LIVING <BR>
-- Brother David Steindl-Rast <BR>
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In thanksgiving for life, I pledge <BR>
to overcome the illusion of entitlement <BR>
by reminding myself that everything is gift <BR>
and, thus, to live gratefully. <BR>
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In thanksgiving for life, I...Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:32:43 ESTPart II, Days-in-the-life in Ecuador, #19, 2014-15 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5818368
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/6/0/l605260360.jpg"> <BR>
Thay, as Thich Nhat Hanh is affectionately known <BR>
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As I move through the days, the importance of the counsel from many of my teachers was forcefully brought home last week with the news of beloved Thich Nhat Hanh's critical health condition. <BR>
<link>plumvillage.org/news/our-beloved-tea<BR>cher-in-hospital/ </link> <BR>
As it is taught, our human birth is very rare and precious. Vipassana teacher Kamala M...Mon, 17 Nov 2014 13:47:39 ESTDays-in-the-Life in Ecuador (in photos) #18, 2014-5 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5814837
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/1/l1143871278.jpg"> <BR>
Here is the home of Adelaida and Amrita, out in the country between Otavalo and Quiroga -- ALL three (including the house!) welcoming me to this new adventure. I spent my first month here after my September 25th arrival. <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/3/3/l337113812.jpg"> <BR>
Enjoying morning coffee with Adelaida on the back patio <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/6/1/...Tue, 11 Nov 2014 11:23:27 ESTGood bye USA, hello Ecuador! #17, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5810874
We now return to our regular programming playing catch-up, so that I can begin sharing with you in the "present tense," here in Ecuador! And I believe this is last in the "catch-up" series -- my lovely, bittersweet stay with sister Dawn in her amazing condo in Pacifica (about 10 minutes from the airport, at least at 5:00am in the morning!) <BR>
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The packing process was cumbersome and tedious and Dawn and her lovely housemate were long-suffering and generous about the mess. Of course, bey...Tue, 4 Nov 2014 19:23:52 ESTAmrita en La Unidad Educativa Las Lomas, #16, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5809518
We now interrupt regular programming to bring you an out-of-order report because...well, it's TIME! Time to share how things are going with my 14-year old god daughter Amrita (whose quinceañera will be December 30!) in the new private school in Cotacachi, Ecuador, with smaller classes and ostensibly more personalized attention. <BR>
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Amri...Sun, 2 Nov 2014 18:45:00 ESTParty Hardy! -- #15, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5796823
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/9/l1964250888.jpg"> <BR>
Down memory lane -- I met my sangha family, now dearest friends, in the early 80s at the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, where I lived and taught for a few years. <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/6/l165135324.jpg"> <BR>
Swami Divyananda, shown here teaching at the SF IYI, was the director of the Center during my tenure there. <BR>
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And NOW, on to the PAR-TAY! My plane took off e...Sun, 12 Oct 2014 12:39:02 ESTwhich is yes -- #14, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5794735
I thank You God for most this amazing <BR>
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees <BR>
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything <BR>
which is natural which is infinite which is yes <BR>
<BR>
--ee cummings, who says it best when I can't say it (as my friend Rachel, MTRACHEL, reflected) <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/1/l1130742703.jpg"> <BR>
Oh no -- you've been out digging in the bushes again, Tiger Lily (a sweet-natured 5-pound bundle of love)!...Wed, 8 Oct 2014 14:46:50 ESTOFF I GO! #13, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5769516
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/5/7/l579072713.jpg"> <BR>
With my soul sister Adelaida on my 71st birthday in Ecuador, Feb 23, 2013. <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/2/l12403683.jpg"> <BR>
Adelaida and her daughter, my beloved goddaughter Amrita, with dear friends Micaela and her mom Sandra, at their home in Cotacachi <BR>
<em>144</em> <BR>
I'VE BOOKED MY FLIGHT to Ecuador, departing San Francisco at 6:00am on September 24 and arriving Quito on Sep...Fri, 29 Aug 2014 17:30:47 ESTI SOLD THE CAMPER. #12, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5768429
Essentially, I own nothing. <BR>
<BR>
THE MOMENT <BR>
<BR>
The moment when, after many years <BR>
of hard work and a long voyage <BR>
you stand in the centre of your room, <BR>
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country, <BR>
knowing at last how you got there, <BR>
and say, I own this, <BR>
<BR>
is the same moment when the trees unloose <BR>
their soft arms from around you, <BR>
the birds take back their language, <BR>
the cliffs fissure and collapse, <BR>
the air moves back from you l...Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:04:30 ESTCapital SparkFriends in the Capital! #11, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5752527
Definition of "capital" as an adjective -- "excellent or first-rate: a capital fellow or girl, a capital hotel." <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/5/l1599914905.jpg"> <BR>
I was recently with capital friends Kathy (ATRANSFORMATION) and Vivian (MISS_VIV), each welcoming me into their Sacramento, CA area homes and sharing a gracious spirit of hospitality. The return visit has been a long time coming and I deeply enjoyed the time with them as our friendships grow an...Sun, 3 Aug 2014 22:24:45 ESTOh joy! San Francisco Bay Area and Environs, #10 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5734748
The first stopover in the SF Bay Area, has come and gone and this blog is long overdue. (I am now visiting dear Kathy, ATRANSFORMATION, in Folsom, Sacramento area. Stay tuned for #11 on my Sacramento area sojourn with Kathy and Vivian, MISS_VIV.) <BR>
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So here are a few photos and reflections on the magical SF Bay Area and environs, with some beloved friends. One unfortunate photos omission is a sail boat race that Diana enjoyed being a part of, invited by our friend, Ira. Kaveri an...Tue, 8 Jul 2014 17:56:04 ESTWe have arrived! #9 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5726297
I would say I'm into the third chapter of this adventure, one being Little Rock to San Diego, where I rendezvoused with Diana, two being the trip up the California coast to San Francisco with Diana, and three, the stopover in the SF Bay Area. Four will be a visit to Sacramento area friends. Five? Not sure which chapter Ecuador will be! So, to finish chapter two: <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/4/3/l439939791.jpg"> <BR>
The beach near our Carpenteria camp site. <B...Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:52:34 ESTTitle: Trundling up the California Coast #8 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5725947
I'm entering the near past, not to dwell there (of course), but simply to begin to bring you up to the present. I left off in Blog #7 having arrived to San Diego to reunite with my soul sister, Diana and continue up the coast to San Francisco to rendezvous with Dawn and other friends. Dawn, Diana and I met when we all lived and taught at the Integral Yoga Institute in the early and mid-80s. We became best friends then, inseparable, and known by some as The Three Sisters. <BR>
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After s...Wed, 25 Jun 2014 22:09:58 ESTSan Francisco or bust! #7 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5725085
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/8/l1867084428.jpg"> <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/4/l1492599710.jpg"> <BR>
This is the San Francisco digs (near Geary and Presidio) of dear friend Jnani, where Diana and I are currently hanging out. Jnani is in southern California for the week teaching at Loyola University and visiting friends. <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/8/l1885825419.jpg"> <BR>
We spent yesterday cruising some old...Tue, 24 Jun 2014 18:23:22 ESTFriends and Dos Picos County Park #6 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5718394
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/7/5/l755868992.jpg"> <BR>
I traveled on the famous Route 66 to my old Hawaii-now-Arizona friend Sam's, in Topock, AZ, arriving a week ago. <BR>
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Scenery along the way <BR>
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I shot this quickie as we got his rebuil...Sun, 15 Jun 2014 11:10:11 ESTMiscellaneous trip shots #5 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5717795
It's a sunny, warm morning in Brawley. I'm on my bicycle at 6:00am and decided to come to Starbucks to post some of the photos that have "fallen by the wayside." <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/9/2/l920954937.jpg"> <BR>
There were dozens of these in rows...in New Mexico: <BR>
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They are about 50 miles west of Socorro, the VLA (Very Large Array) - a series of 27 (yes, twenty-seven!) 230-ton radio astronomy dishes, arranged in a flexibly Y configuration. Using as...Sat, 14 Jun 2014 11:24:25 ESTMore bicycling in the high desert #4 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5717464
Well, it has been a rather challenging day, because after I left my friend's place in Topock, AZ my cell phone died. I'm in Brawley now for the night. It's in the Imperial Valley, part of the "agricultural basket" of California. I went to a Radio Shack, but after 1.5 hours they decided they couldn't help me (long story), although after polishing my cell battery a few times, the phone did boot. On to more pleasant considerations, as I sit in a Starbucks and enjoy the A/C. <BR>
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I stay...Fri, 13 Jun 2014 21:25:19 ESTA little of this, a little of that, #3 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5715014
Because my computer access is so limited (I'm at the library doing this), I will just send some photo clips today, and hope to have greater access when I get to California next week: <BR>
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So far so good: <BR>
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/2/0/l2097693569.jpg"> <BR>
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This is the way I feel under the New Mexico and Arizona sky: <BR>
<em>8</em> <BR>
Entrance <BR>
(After Rilke) <BR>
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Whoever you are: step out of doors tonight, <BR>
Out of the room that lets you...Tue, 10 Jun 2014 13:45:54 ESTWoven around the heart of wonder, #2B, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5709615
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder. <BR>
-- John O'Donohue <BR>
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I am well into the solo camper trip to the west coast, having begun May 24 from home in central Arkansas. This June 2 early Monday morning finds me ready to continue the western pull, after landing five days ago at my yoga sister Connie's amazing digs in Sandia Park, outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. <BR>
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Many wonderful things have come and gone...here is the tip of ...Tue, 3 Jun 2014 10:10:32 ESTWoven around the heart of wonder, #2, 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5708829
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder. <BR>
-- John O'Donohue <BR>
<BR>
I am well into the west coast road trip, having begun May 24 from home in central Arkansas. This June 2 early Monday morning finds me ready to continue the western pull, after landing five days ago at my yoga sister Connie's amazing digs in Sandia Park, outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. <BR>
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I'm on her PC and the photos, such as they are, aren't copying for me, so no images...Mon, 2 Jun 2014 10:51:30 ESTGet Your Kicks on Route 66, #1 2014 Triphttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5699204
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/6/l1625593624.jpg"> <BR>
Bon voyage brunch at Patio Cafe last Saturday with yoga sisters, Brooke on the left, teacher extraordinaire Meg on the right <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/2/9/l295102678.jpg"> <BR>
The countdown has begun in earnest now for The Last Hurrah, my final solo road trip in the wonderful 1984 Toyota Dolphin, aka Kurma (Turtle) Avatara. I will take blue highways from Conway to Yukon, OK, where I wil...Tue, 20 May 2014 12:27:51 ESTListen to things more often than beings.http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5678870
I am deeply comforted by this profound poem. I find it inspiring as I become more intricately involved in the planning for my May 24 departure. <BR>
<em>534</em> <BR>
(More on The Trip will be forthcoming!) <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/6/l1686775061.jpg"> <BR>
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EARTH SONG <BR>
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Listen to things more often than beings. <BR>
Hear the voice of the fire, hear the voice of the water, <BR>
Listen in the wind to the sighing of the bush: <BR>
This is the a...Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:40:55 ESTOn the Death of the Beloved -- for a dear friendhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5649811
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/2/1/l2134519680.jpg"> <BR>
On The Death Of The Beloved <BR>
<BR>
Though we need to weep your loss, <BR>
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts, <BR>
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you. <BR>
<BR>
Your love was like the dawn <BR>
Brightening over our lives <BR>
Awakening beneath the dark <BR>
A further adventure of colour. <BR>
<BR>
The sound of your voice <BR>
Found for us <BR>
A new music <BR>
That brightened everything. <BR>
<...Mon, 17 Mar 2014 10:23:32 ESTNew Year's Evehttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5576226
It's going on 2:00am and I'm still up. And the irony of "What to Remember When Waking," David Whyte's poignant creation, isn't escaping me. <BR>
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Nor is the allusion to Buddha's reply of "Awake," when asked what he was. <BR>
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As I ready myself to enter each day of the new year, I hope to always remember that I have been "invited from another and greater night." <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/9/4/l947168567.jpg"> <BR>
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WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN WAKING...Tue, 31 Dec 2013 01:59:43 ESTI heard the bells on Christmas Day....http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5571673
When you’re happy, sing. When you’re sad, sing even louder. <BR>
--Irish Proverb <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/1/l1158670510.jpg"> <BR>
Holy Holly, Greg Turiya Liotta <BR>
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I've always felt that if I can keep a song in my heart, it will add joy to my day. And so I decided to share some of my favorite music of this time of year...perhaps you too will find joy in it! <BR>
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<em>445</em> <BR>
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~ Three Dog Night <BR>
<link>www.youtube.com/watch?v=...Wed, 25 Dec 2013 14:34:01 ESTMy dear Spark friends!http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5571168
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/7/l177951580.jpg"> <BR>
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Joyful greetings this holiday season! <BR>
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I hope all of you far-and-near bask in contentment -- <BR>
Alone or surrounded by family and/or friends <BR>
Lights or shadows <BR>
Music or quietness <BR>
Going out or staying in <BR>
Vegan or omnivore <BR>
<BR>
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/9/l1995059078.jpg"> <BR>
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And in the midst of it all -- <BR>
May we have gratitude for the gifts ...Tue, 24 Dec 2013 14:27:30 ESTReally...EVERYTHING?http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5511604
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/3/l1344745381.jpg">Sat, 12 Oct 2013 14:38:56 ESTFall Song, Mary Oliverhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5500537
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/6/l1617744664.jpg"> <BR>
<BR>
Fall Song <BR>
<BR>
Another year gone, leaving everywhere <BR>
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves, <BR>
<BR>
the uneaten fruits crumbling damply <BR>
in the shadows, unmattering back <BR>
<BR>
from the particular island <BR>
of this summer, this NOW, that now is nowhere <BR>
<BR>
except underfoot, moldering <BR>
in that black subterranean castle <BR>
<BR>
of unobservable mysteries - roots and sealed seed...Mon, 30 Sep 2013 16:44:26 ESTSummer's endhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5488235
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/2/6/l264033112.jpg"> <BR>
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Blazing summer days: no force could bring them back. <BR>
Clouds suddenly rising off the river, lovely, so lovely, <BR>
<BR>
ducks leave a bridge's shadow, paddling into fine rain, <BR>
and butterflies flutter out, frolicking in field breezes. <BR>
<BR>
The willow won't survive nights and days much longer, <BR>
and waterlilies will only open two or three more times. <BR>
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If the changing sights of a single y...Tue, 17 Sep 2013 11:58:46 ESTThe good news and the bad news....http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5407439
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/9/0/l908898233.jpg"> <BR>
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Yeah, let's meet there to talk about this -- <BR>
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I have good news and not-so-good news: After embarking upon a conscious program (once again) of portion control, watching the types of foods consumed, tracking food, and exercising to begin getting rid of the 15 pounds that have crept up on me from about two years of careless eating, the good news is that I have maintained a month-long streak of daily exer...Mon, 1 Jul 2013 12:59:35 ESTOne year from now....http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5358637
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/2/l1272950696.jpg"> <BR>
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I hesitated to write this blog because it can be yet another way to be on the computer INSTEAD of "on the mat" or with the free weights or on my bicycle. But It will be short-and-sweet. <BR>
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<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/2/l1234284458.jpg"> <BR>
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I'm pushin' 150 lbs. and that's scary...and moves me toward that "out-of-control" feeling that I dread so. I'm afraid I've been sliding do...Thu, 16 May 2013 13:41:52 ESTEndings...and beginnings, Part 2 (#8, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5331969
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/4/4/l449833167.jpg"> <BR>
As I get increasingly enmeshed with *this* altered state since returning from Ecuador March 19, the vividness of the experiences blur slightly and the matters that I just *had* to attend to have diminished in importance just a bit. But I continue to persist in pursuing the dreams that spawned during this odyssey (odyssey: a long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardshi...Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:14:56 ESTEndings...and beginnings, Part 1 (#7, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5303516
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/9/0/l905171769.jpg"> <BR>
Every door is another passage, another boundary we have to go beyond. <BR>
--Rumi <BR>
<em>144</em> <BR>
We sometimes step, sometimes stumble, and other times we are pulled into the territory of the Crone when the need for a deeper, larger understanding of our most meaningful path can no longer be denied -- when the gifts hidden in our challenges must be brought forth. <BR>
-- Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes <BR>
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The...Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:17:37 ESTOn the road in Ecuador (#6, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5298375
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/7/l1707519892.jpg"> <BR>
A hundred blossoming white lotus flowers <BR>
for you, <BR>
a Buddha-to-be. <BR>
<BR>
Note: <BR>
Please substitute <BR>
"A bouquet of blossoming salmon-hued gladioli" <BR>
for the lotus flowers. <BR>
<em>146</em> <BR>
I spent two weeks solo on the road traveling by bus -- getting to know portions of southern Ecuador and, of course, many amazing people and more aspects of myself and my Self as well -- first ...Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:34:12 EST71 years on the planet...REALLY??? (#5, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5269930
What they say is true...aging is like a snowball gathering speed as it rolls down the hill...incredible how the years are whirling by these days!!! It is said that youth is wasted on the young...and in my case, that was definitely true. How about you? <BR>
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I'm a little late with this birthday entry...it was February 23, 1942 that I entered the planet for this round. Carlos and Yolanda invited us to their lovely cottage and finca (farm) above Ibarra. Adelaida, Amrita and I celebrated...Sat, 2 Mar 2013 15:24:37 ESTLove (#4, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5251535
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/1/0/l1096744624.jpg"> <BR>
View of Rio Intag from terraza outside our room at Tierra & Sol Lodge, Intag, Ecuador <BR>
<BR>
<em>214</em> <BR>
Aimless Love <BR>
<BR>
This morning as I walked along the lakeshore, <BR>
I fell in love with a wren <BR>
and later in the day with a mouse <BR>
the cat had dropped under the dining room table. <BR>
<BR>
In the shadows of an autumn evening, <BR>
I fell for a seamstress <BR>
still at her machine in th...Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:46:21 ESTThe Universe (#3, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5214131
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/3/3/l337453396.jpg"> <BR>
I <em>26</em> the Teachings as expressed by Eckhart Tolle! <BR>
<BR>
<em>67</em> <BR>
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Life continues to careen toward the Center in all its fierce beauty, and I'm holding on for dear life, mostly enjoying the ride. <BR>
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I decided to post a few more miscellaneous photos for no particular reason, other than the fact that I'll be able enjoy the record of them many moons from now, and perhaps they will brin...Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:32:17 ESTOne World (#2, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5208818
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/8/6/l863347003.jpg"> <BR>
<BR>
Poem of the One World <BR>
<BR>
This morning <BR>
the beautiful white heron <BR>
was floating above the water <BR>
and then into the sky <BR>
of this one world <BR>
we all belong to <BR>
where everything sooner or later is part <BR>
of everything else <BR>
<BR>
which thought made me feel <BR>
for a little while <BR>
quite beautiful myself. <BR>
<BR>
-- Mary Oliver <BR>
<BR>
Today my beloved friend Adelaida and ...Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:11:02 ESTPresence (#1, Ecuador, 2013)http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5193201
Awaken to the mystery of being here <BR>
and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. <BR>
<BR>
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/6/4/l641343814.jpg"> <BR>
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My place of residence with Adelaida and her daughter Amrita (my god daughter) is about 15 minutes southeast of Otavalo, heading toward the town of Cotacachi. For reference, Ibarra is about 35 minutes northeast of Otavalo. <BR>
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I am more and more deeply aware in my life of the importance of PRESENCE as I li...Sun, 6 Jan 2013 13:49:09 ESTThe invisible thread in pilgrimagehttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5174674
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I am looking at this three-month sojourn in South America, which will begin on Christmas Day, as a pilgrimage, a stepping off into the mystery, opening to the mystery, being the mystery, in my world without borders. <BR>
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It is said by the ancients that there is an invisible thread connecting us to the Source, to the Sacred. The t...Sun, 23 Dec 2012 20:12:12 ESTWhat is laughter?http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5154494
Without laughter, life would be unbearable, huh! It's the grease in the joints of the vehicle that carries us through it all -- the good, the bad, and the ugly! Joy Riley posts this wonderful image and Hafiz each year and I know I have also shared it in past years, but it's always worth an encore, for the profound Teaching it offers us: <BR>
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Laughter <BR>
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What is laughter? What is laughter? <BR>
It ...Mon, 3 Dec 2012 09:34:13 ESTWash Our Spirits Cleanhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5146734
Dear Joe Riley, amazing purveyor of magnificent poetry to my Inbox each week, said this with this posting, "With so much emphasis on shopping rather than thankfulness I was reminded of this song. I don't mean it as a sermon or condemnation, just a reminder that there is more to life than buying stuff. I invite you to listen:" <BR>
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Wash Your Spirit Clean <BR>
Sung in Cherokee and English <BR>
(PLEASE NOTE: t...Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:08:28 ESTThe Medicine of Poetryhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5124633
This morning's principal article from DailyGood.org by Kim Rosen speaks so beautifully to the healing power of poetry that I'm sharing the full text here for the nourishment and enjoyment of any who venture by needing or desiring its message: <BR>
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"I never could connect with poetry," Jan said. "I'm a math teacher!" She was sitting on my living room couch surrounded by piles of poetry books. On the coffee tab...Mon, 5 Nov 2012 09:49:04 ESTTODAYhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5120015
<img src="http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/nw/8/7/l875926971.jpg"> <BR>
Logan Pass at Sunset, Glacier National Park, Montana <BR>
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TODAY <BR>
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The ordinary miracles begin. Somewhere <BR>
a signal arrives: "Now," and the rays <BR>
come down. A tomorrow has come. Open <BR>
your hands, lift them: morning rings <BR>
all the doorbells; porches are cells for prayer. <BR>
Religion has touched your throat. Not the same now, <BR>
you could close your eyes and go on full of light. <BR>
<B...Thu, 1 Nov 2012 09:12:28 ESTWhy I Wake Earlyhttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5115466
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WHY I WAKE EARLY <BR>
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Hello, sun in my face. <BR>
Hello, you who make the morning <BR>
and spread it over the fields <BR>
and into the faces of the tulips <BR>
and the nodding morning glories, <BR>
and into the windows of, even, the <BR>
miserable and the crotchety -- <BR>
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best preacher that ever was, <BR>
dear star, that just happens <BR>
to be where you are in the universe <BR>
to keep us from ever-da...Sun, 28 Oct 2012 10:38:22 ESTQuiz with One Word Answershttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5111599
First time I've done this sorta' thing. Just sorta-kinda' took hold of me after reading SCOOTER4263's. <BR>
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Wanna' play??? Just copy and paste and then fill in your own answers in a blog on your SparkPage. <BR>
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Where is your cell phone? <BR>
Desk <BR>
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Spouse? <BR>
Huh? <BR>
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Your hair? <BR>
Blah <BR>
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Your mother? <BR>
Miss <BR>
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Your father? <BR>
Miss <BR>
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Your favorite t...Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:36:45 ESTFor the more esoteric among us....http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5096559
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From a numerological and Tarot perspective.... <BR>
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Friday 12th October's vibration (12+10+2+0+1+2) = 27/9. <BR>
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Fertility and growth are the key words for the 27/9 vibration. Things are blossoming and coming to fruition. Those new ventures that you dreamed of are establishing themselves, and new business flourish under this vibration. Partnerships are indicated again with the presence of the 2, and so...Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:08:11 ESTLife While-You-Waithttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5096472
This wonderful morning offering from Wislawa Szymborska, a favorite poem from a favorite poet, speaks so deeply to me that I felt compelled to bring it forward for friends here to consider and possibly revel in, as I have. Although I know nothing of her religious propensities, I have no doubt that Szymborska was a deeply spiritual being. She speaks with deep awareness of the uncharted and often seemingly perilous journey we call "life." <BR>
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My life is not without its pleasures, and I...Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:36:14 ESTFall Equinox Reporthttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5069700
September 22: Sun in Libra. Mabon. Fall Equinox 7:49 am PDT/10:49 am EDT. <BR>
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<link>www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player<BR>_embedded&v=lX9UTWh4VDw#! </link> <BR>
Autumn Song, Van Morrison <BR>
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(I'm including all of Irma Kaye Sawyer's lovely and juicy text for those who want to dig deep) -- <BR>
<em>465</em> <em>465</em> <em>465</em> <BR>
Re-visioning, Dry Land, and the Empress: Fall Equinox...Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:52:13 EST...the circle of lifehttp://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=5066003
I can't decide what I want to do when I grow up (and if I want to get there before I die I guess I'd better begin!), I'm on a plateau physically and spiritually -- neither the body weight nor the mental weight are moving, and my sense of place and purpose are tenuous at best. <BR>
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Some mornings I feel more perplexed than usual at the conundrum of life. After pondering the "why this's" and "why thats" and reading BILLBOOO's blog on getting back on-purpose, ROSALIEESTHER's on being in ap...Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:02:50 EST